The trend in the design of electronic devices, such as notebook computers or personal data assistants, is to provide as small a package as functionally possible while at the same time providing for comfortable cool and lightweight operation. Additionally, market forces also require that electronic devices, such as notebook computers, deliver the same computational horsepower as their desktop equivalents in order to justify their cost. However, to achieve this faster performance, integrated circuits (ICs), especially the central processing unit (CPU), the graphics controller, and the memory devices all require more power, which create more heat in the device. The combination of this additional heat and a smaller package creates additional stress on the internal components, causing the electronic devices to quit working or literally become too hot to handle.
Another problem, especially with notebooks, is that peripheral modules such as floppy, CD-ROM, Zip and DVD drives and PC cards not only take up space, they create more heat. Also, many of these peripheral modules are sensitive to heat generated from the other components in the electronic device and may prematurely fail to operate if these temperature sensitive modules become too hot.
Several different techniques have been developed to deal with the excess heat generated in an electronic device. By slowing the CPU clock rate down, the heat generated by the CPU decreases; however, the user's desire for desktop performance can not be met. By creating a docking station to hold various peripherals that are not used when the electronic device is mobile, more space becomes available in the electronic device for additional heat transfer structures. However, the electronic device in a docking environment usually causes the user to change their expectations of use such that the user wants full performance with an external monitor and keyboard as well as access to a network such as the Internet. In this situation, usually the electronic device's cover or lid is closed, or the electronic device is enclosed by the docking station, and in both cases the heat transfer properties of the electronic device change. What is required for future electronic devices is an optimal way to keep them cool in whatever operating mode the user decides to use.